Member of The Family is a well written, intriguing look at the youngest member of Charles Manson’s family. It’s interesting, thought provoking, telling and disgusting at the same time.

Dianne Lake who was only 14 when she was taken in by the Manson family, witnessed and lived with the people who became some of the most horrific murderer’s of the 20th century. Manson manipulated young girls to kill innocent victims, that of actress Sharon Tate who was 8 months pregnant at the time. It was truly one of the most horrific murders of the time, perhaps of all time.

Dianne Lake, describes in Member of the Family how she came to the Manson family without reserving judgment on her two messed up parents. At times, sounding just like a hippie talking (you know what I mean, Man don’t you?”) readers are placed in judgment of Lake’s parents and of Charlie Manson and his family of mostly young girls. We see how someone who is unloved and unwanted by her family is set adrift on her own at the tender age of 14.Her parents give her to a married couple who they tell Dianne she can take care of their baby once it is born. But the twosome have other ideas for a young, easily led teen.

Then we are led into how Lake meets Charlie Manson and his family and how she sees how sick he truly is and how he manipulates young girls into doing what he wants.

Member of the Family is an easily read book. It is written kind of simply and at times sounds exactly like readers are thrown back into the 1960’s.

The first 100 pages center on Dianne’s birth family and how idiotic her parents were by her father deciding they were going to live life the way they wanted, and her mother just follows along to keep the peace. Her parents introduce her to drugs and write a note saying they allow her to live life as a free spirit as a minor on her own.

Without a job, a home or parents who guide love her and take responsibility for their children, Dianne Lake is left to her own devices, ending up joining the Manson family as an young, innocent teen—who by the way should have been in high school, not having sex with men to find a bed for the night and not been set out on her own at 14.Momzinga.com.